“What were you doing outside? Why were you waiting for me?”
She’s changing the subject. I leave it for now. She’s going to see what she wants. I’m just a dumb construction worker in her mind. A blockhead, like my friends say. Time is the only thing that can open her eyes.
I clear my throat as I pull the designs from my back pocket, hoping they aren’t too creased. “I promised, before we give you an estimate, that I’d bring the designs by to make sure we’re on the same page. So I have what I think you want.” I hand her the first image. It’s nice. Neat. Boring.
“This looks interesting,” she nods, keeping her eyes away from mine. She frowns. “The arches look out of place.” I give hertime to soak it in. “And, I’d like for the display case to face the outside window.”
“And this,” I hold the next image close to my chest, “is the experience I tried to describe to you.” I turn the image around for Camilla to see.
Her eyes open wide, and her hands cover her mouth. “Wow,” she whispers before turning back to me. “This is stunning!” I beam with pride. “Using marble as the backdrop for the accent wall, isn’t it too heavy? Is this even possible? I mean, do you think Eternal by Design can do it?” Her questions come faster as excitement bubbles inside of her.
“I wouldn’t present you with something we can’t do.”
“This is so much brighter and warmer than I thought it would be.”
“As long as we go with a light marble for the floor. It will pick up hints of color from the chandeliers and the fairy lights, so it offers a soft candlelight feel.”
“The trees are perfect. They don’t look out of place at all. They look like they grew inside the bakery.”
“That’s the point.”
“I’m just not sure about the vines and flowers connecting the trunks. After a while, they’ll look dingy.”
“Not if they’re real.”
“There’s no way to keep real vines and flowers growing once you cut them.”
I take a step closer to her, crook my pointer finger under her chin, and lift her head until she meets my gaze. “Anything is possible if you can imagine it.”
Her excitement wanes. She shakes her head. “There’s so much marble. I mean, look at this beautiful island, it’s all marble.”
“Don’t forget the light underneath it.”
She frowns.
“What’s wrong?”
“You thought about accent lights under the displays. Fairy lights. Accent walls. I’m impressed, Mr. Flint.”
“Then why do you look so upset?”
“Because I love it, but I can’t possibly afford it. I had to start from scratch with the ovens and racks. I have to stay within a budget, and there’s so much artistry in this design.”
“Just say the word, Camilla, and it’s yours. I’ll make it happen, and we’ll stay within your budget, even if that means doing the work myself.”
Her eyes trail off to the side. “I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You can repay me with burnt cheesecake.”
